Hazara Pioneers
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Hazara Pioneers were employed by Brigadier General Dyer of Jallianwalla Bagh notoriety in Sarhad District of Iranian Baloch in First World War.
In his book Raiders of Sarhad Brigadier Dyer writes words to the effect that Hazara Pioneers were panting to kill the Reki and other Baloch of Sarhad district who being Sunni the Pioneers regarded as infidels and that this would guarantee them a place in paradise.Words to this effect.I read the book in 1977 or 1978.
I will try to find it and would quote Dyers exact remarks.
It is a sad history of how the Britishers divided India and this region and used one tribe against another !
The Punjabis against Hindustanis , Gurkhas against Pashtuns , Turi Shias against non Shia Pashtuns , Hazara Pioneers against Baloch , a Punjabi Police force in Quetta to control Quetta , Hindustanis against Santhals , Hindustanis against Mysore and so on.
Personally I have many Hazara friends having studied with them at Quetta in 1968-77.They were the most adventurous and sports loving people.
Whenever I climbed the Murdar Garh Mountain near my house in Quetta I would see Hazara men on their mornng walk climbing Murdar Garh.
My Afghan American NGO boss a Pashtun always employed Hazara staff at house and told me once that he liked them because they were far more cleaner in personal hygiene and more hard working than Pashtuns or Tajiks ! Note that this gentleman himself was a Pashtun ! Taking his tip I also employed a Hazara maid and she turned my house at Kabul into heavens on earth.
Indeed I would say that 70 % of maid servants in Kabul were Hazaras.
The assertion of Husseini in Kite Runner about masters of the house fathering sons from Hazara maid servants is a hard fact of Afghan history.
What I liked about Ismaili Hazaras was their liberal attitude towards religion.My girlfriend never distinguished between Ramzan or other months of the year.
In Afghanistan again on my morning walks to Tapa i Bibi Mahru I saw Hazaras exercising and jogging.I hardly ever saw any ethnicity doing it.
My Khalqi friend a senior leftist regime member loved Hazara women as he said they were hairless unlike many non Hazara women.
Note that this officer had been friends with women of Naghmas stature in beauty and fame !
To sum up the Hazaras are a great people and it is sad that they have been tageted becase of ethnicity and sect.
Personally I dont think that Changez Dil Khan is a Hazara.He as far as I know belongs to Shamsabad near Attock and is brotherin law of Lieutenant General Salahuddin Tirmizi.
An outstanding Hazara officer missed here is Brigadier Khadm Ali Changezi from 11 Cavalry who played a crucial role in 11 Cavalry battles at Chamb in 1971.He was also founder of Cadet College Mastung.
It is right that Hazaras were persecuted in Afghanistan.However the leftists altgough Pashtun dominated finished this discrimination and Sultan Ali Kishtmand was given prime ministers position twice by the Khaliqis and Parchamis .
The true liberators of Hazaras were the leftists as well as the USSR who gave them respect and political acceptance.
The Pakistan sponsored Afghan Taliban are die hard enemies of Hazaras.
In Quetta starting from 1990s Hazaras have been systematically attacked by Afghan Taliban and the Hazaras are now migrating to Karachi and Punjab.
Parachinar also has some Hazaras from the Fauladi clan.
Jughuri in Ghazni Province Afghanistan has one of the highest literacy rates in Afghanistan.
Agha.H.Amin
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August 14, 2011
Several questions regarding background of Hazara recruitment in Indian army, details of British officers and VCOs of Hazara Pioneers, General Musa's connection with the battalion and controversies related to his promotion resulted in the following piece. Only for those who are interested in military history of a bygone era.
Warm Regards,
Hamid
Forgotten Pioneers - Hazara Pioneers, Hazaras & General Muhammad Musa Khan
Hamid Hussain
Hazara are an ethnic group of Afghanistan inhabiting central highlands. They are Shia and have peculiar mongoloid features. In late 1800s, Amir Abdur Rahman Khan of Afghanistan conquered their area and persecuted them. Large numbers of Hazara were killed and many enslaved. This persecution forced many Hazara to migrate to British Baluchistan, Central Asia and Mashhad in Iran in large numbers. Hazara had worked as migrant workers in Baluchistan for a long period of time but it was in late 1800s that large scale migration to Baluchistan occurred. Hazara were recruited in small numbers in British Indian army after Second Anglo-Afghan War in 1880. They were mainly concentrated in 124th and 126th Baluchistan Infantry (each battalion had a company of Hazaras). For a while Guides Cavalry recruited a troop of Hazara but later it stopped recruiting Hazara. Recruitment in Indian army provided Hazara not only physical safety from persecution but also opened new avenues for their future generations. Education combined with hard work helped in upward social mobility of Hazara in British India and later in the successor Pakistani state.
Hazara Pioneers was raised in 1904 by Major Claude William Jacob. Claude was born in India and had a long family tradition of military service in India. His grandfather was Lieutenant Colonel William Jacob who served in East India Company (EIC) army. His father was Major General William Jacob (19th Bombay Infantry). Two of his uncles Lieutenant Colonel John Jacob and Colonel Swinton Jacob also served in Indian army. Jacob after commission served for two years with 29th Foot (now First Battalion of Worcestershire Regiment) before transferring to Indian army. He served initially with 130th Baluchistan Infantry (later 5/10 Baluch and now 12 Baloch of Pakistan army) and later with 126th Baluchistan Infantry (later 2/10 Baluch and now 7 Baloch of Pakistan army). When raising eight companies of 106th Hazara Pioneers, he brought Hazara companies from 124th and 126th Baluchistan Infantry that formed the nucleus of the new regiment. Jacob commanded the regiment for seven years. Jacob later rose to become Field Marshal. He was Colonel of Hazara pioneers from 1916 to 1933. He was also Colonel of 2/10 Baluch Regiment (old 126th Baluchistan Infantry) as well as Worcestershire Regiment. Jacob's younger brother Arthur Le Grand Jacob succeeded the command of 106th Hazara Pioneers in 1911 and commanded it for four years. Arthur was commissioned in his brother's battalion; 130th Baluchistan Infantry. Later, he spent a long career on the frontier and was an expert on Mahsud and Wazir tribes. He served as second-in-command of South Waziristan Militia before taking command of Hazara Pioneers. Claude's brother in law Lieutenant Colonel Whyte commanded Hazara Pioneers in 1926.
Pioneer regiments were mainly engineer battalions responsible for military road work. They were also trained as infantry to protect themselves in case of attack. 106th Hazara Pioneers mainly served in Baluchistan and North West Frontier. In First World War, one company of 106th Hazara Pioneers was sent to Iraq to serve with 107th Pioneers. In 1922-23 reorganization, only four pioneer regiments remained in Indian army. 106th Hazara Pioneers was re-named first battalion of 4th Hazara Pioneers. Other three pioneer regiments were Ist Madras, 2nd Bombay and 3rd Sikh. Hazara soldiers were very good marksmen. They won many competitions of Indian army including Meerut Cup, Carnatic Gold cup and Rawlinson Shield. Two Viceroy's Commissioned Officers (VCOs) Jamadar Kalbe Raza and Jamadar Yaqub Ali won King's Medal in Meerut for best shots. In sports, Hazara soldiers were very good hockey players. They played all over India and in 1926 many Hazara were in the hockey team of Indian army that toured New Zealand.
Subedar Major Ali Dost spent his long career with Hazara Pioneers and when he was compulsory retired, he went to Kabul. He was given the title of honorary Major General by Kabul authorities and he tried to discourage Hazara recruitment in British army. His son Dr. Zamin married daughter of Hazara leader in Kabul Nadir Ali Khan Jaghori who was at one time senator in Afghan parliament. In 1933, all pioneer regiments of Indian army including 4th Hazara Pioneers were disbanded.
General Mohammad Musa is the most famous Hazara soldier. He was born in 1908 in Quetta. His father Subedar Sardar Yazdan Bakhsh had migrated from Afghanistan in 1890 and joined 126th Baluchistan Infantry. In 1904, when Hazaras of 124th and 126th Baluchistan Infantry were transferred to raise 106th Hazara Pioneers, he also came to 106th Hazara Pioneers. In 1923 Waziristan expedition, he served as acting Subedar Major when Subedar Major Ali Dost was on leave. Jealousies among VCOs resulted in compulsory retirement of Yazadan at the rank of Subedar. Two officers of the battalion Major Greer and Captain Stephenson (Adjutant) advised Yazdan to have his son Musa enlisted in the battalion and he joined the battalion as recruit in November 1926. Musa served in the ranks for four years and promoted to the rank of Naik.
In 1930, he attended Army School of Education at Belgaum that prepared non-commissioned officers. He joined the first batch of Indian Military Academy (IMA) in October 1932 and was commissioned in 1935. He spent first year with Ist Battalion Royal Norfolk Regiment. Commanding Officer (CO) of 6/13 Frontier Force Rifles (now 1 Frontier Force Regiment of Pakistan army) Lieutenant Colonel Bunbury who had served with Musa's father arranged for Musa's appointment to 6/13 FFRif.
In 1936, Musa's brother officer in 6/13 FFRif. was Lieutenant Kanhaya Lal Atal (later Major General and brother of Major General Hira Lal Atal). During Second World War, he spent only a short period of time with his battalion in Middle East and didn't see any major action. He came back to India in December 1941 to attend Staff College course at Quetta. After that he served as GSO-II at Officers Training School (OTS) Mhow for six months and then three years in Intelligence Bureau in Quetta. In October 1946, he was appointed Assistant Secretary of the Armed Forces Nationalization Committee where he became friends with Secretary of the committee Lieutenant Colonel B. M. Kaul (later Lieutenant General of Indian army). In October 1946, orders were issued posting him to Ist Sikh Light Infantry (a wartime raised battalion consisting of Mazhabi and Ramdasia Sikhs) but Musa didn't respond for few months. Later, the chaos of partition prevented Musa from joining Sikh Light Infantry.
In August 1947, he was appointed GSO-1 of Lahore Area Headquarters followed by the command of 103rd infantry Brigade in Sialkot and 52nd Brigade in Quetta. He commanded 14th Division in East Pakistan. Later he served as Deputy Chief Of Staff (COS), Chief of Joint Services Secretariat at Ministry of Defence and COS. After 1958 coup, General Ayub Khan appointed him C-in-C. In 1962, he was given extension of another four years and he retired in 1966. He died in 1991 and according to his wishes was buried in Mashhad in Iran.
Musa was a gentleman but almost all agree that there were many other qualified senior officers and Ayub chose him for his loyalty. He was not seen as a potential threat to Ayub's own ambitions. His promotion resulted in many premature retirements/resignations of other senior officers. October 1956, when Musa was appointed COS, then Chief of General Staff (CGS) Major General Sher Ali Khan Pataudi put in a representation to government arguing that he was more qualified. Sher Ali was retired on December 31, 1956 and General Head Quarters (GHQ) sent a signal to formations stating that Sher was removed because of doubts about his loyalty. Ayub already had problems with Sher going back to 1951. When Sher was serving as Adjutant General (AG), newly appointed first native C-in-C Ayub wrote a negative remark in his Annual Confidential Report (ACR) in May 1951. When Sher represented against this, Ayub recommended Sher's removal from the service to the government. However, then Defence Secretary Iskandar Mirza overruled Ayub and had negative remarks removed from Sher's file. Careers of Major General Nasir Ali Khan and Major General Muhammad Abdul Latif were also cut short as Musa climbed promotion ladder. In October 1959, COS Lieutenant General Habibullah Khan Khattak was prematurely retired after serving for only ten months under Musa.
Musa could be criticized on professional grounds, however many used derogatory remarks referring to his humble background and being commissioned from ranks. Generally, officers commissioned from the ranks were considered low in the social hierarchy of officer corps and were often called 'rankers'. However, the most uncharitable remarks were made by Major General Sher Ali when he wrote in his autobiography that ''Why are we so particular, before purchasing a horse, a dog, or a cat, to check its pedigree? And yet when selecting the most sophisticated animal – the man- we do not always apply this rule". He was obviously referring to preference of Musa as COS over him highlighting his blue blood heritage of being the scion of a princely family against the humble origins of Musa.
Like many other tribal groups, Hazara also lost their semi-independent status in Afghanistan in late 1800s when a centralized state asserted control over semi-independent regions.
The only difference was that Hazara were systematically persecuted by the state that left a deep wound on Hazara psyche that is visible even today. Many Hazara were enslaved in Afghanistan and even after formal abolition of slavery in early twentieth century their social status remained at the bottom of the society. The history of this suffering was transmitted through oral traditions to later generations.
Confronted with systemic and prolonged persecution, many such communities such as Jews, Ahmadis and Bahais develop a sense of perseverance and they work extremely hard to excel in the chosen fields to prove that they are not inferior. A similar spirit is seen among some Hazara. Many broke enormous barriers to be successful in different fields. In Pakistan, many Hazara served with distinction in armed forces and police.
In Afghanistan, after the fall of Taliban, a Hazara renaissance occurred in the last decade. In education and female emancipation Hazara are at the forefront. Male and female literacy and higher education is on the rise and many Hazara are excelling in higher education both inside Afghanistan as well as internationally. It is to the credit of Hazara that they have produced a female human rights pioneer, a female mayor, a female governor of the country and many female army and police officers.
Hazara were discriminated because of their peculiar features therefore many decided to wear that badge with honor. Many Hazara in Pakistan adopted the name Changez (some proudly use the last name as Hazara). Two most successful Hazara are retired Air Marshal Sharbat Ali Changezi (he is married to General Musa's daughter Azra) and Major General Changez Dil Khan; a first rate cavalry officer currently commanding an elite armored division and destined for higher posts. Large scale massacre of Hazara occurred during Taliban rule and in Pakistan they have been the target of sectarian killers in Baluchistan. This is bringing back the painful memories of Hazara persecution of the nineteenth century; however Hazara spirit is still strong.
Selected Readings:
1- http://www.worcestershireregiment.com/wr.php?main=inc/c_jacob2- http://www.myjacobfamily.com/favershamjacobs/sirclaudjacob.htm
3- General (R) Mohammad Musa. Jawan to General: Recollections of a Pakistani Soldier (Karachi: Royal Book Company, 1984), Reprint 2008.
4- Major General ® Nawabzada Sher Ali Khan Pataudi. The Story of Soldiering and Politics in India & Pakistan (Lahore: Wajidalis, 1978)
5- Major General (R) Shaukat Riza. The Pakistan Army 1947-1949 (Rawalpindi: Services Book Club, 1989)
6- Shuja Nawaz. Crossed Swords: Pakistan Its Army, and the Wars Within (Karachi: Oxford University Press, 2008)
Hamid Hussain
August 13, 2011
Defence Journal
